Demountable wheel and hub



July 7, 1931. "A. H. sHoEMAKER y y DEMOUNTABLE WHEELAND HUB Filed July 15, 1928 H 5 1 9 s 4. 2 7 ff/o 32 .nww a i m w 2 4. or) 3 3 3 M 6. 5 2 7. w w 3 ,4., j l M7. am 3%? 8 M Patented July 7, 1931 l UNITED STATES ALVIN' H. SHOEMAKER, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON DEMOUNTABLE WHEEL'AND inns imputationl mea my s, 192e. semina. anonce.

My invention relates to improvements in metal discwheels and hubs of the type in which the wheel is demountable from the hub and my present invention is in the nature 'of' an improvement', on the respective lmetal disc wheels disclosed. inmy two copending applications Serial Number 135,073, filed eptember 13, 1926, which has matured'into Patent No. 1,676,874; and Serialu Number 259,167 filed March 5, 1928.

The general objects of my present invention are to improve and simplify-and increase the eiciency of wheels of this type.

A more specific object is to provide an improved hub structure Ain which `the wheel is rigidly and immovably secured upon a taered hub block of other than circular shape y means including the hub cap nut, said wheel being quickly and easily demountable by removing the hub cap nut.

Another specific object is to provide an improved rim structure in which the edges whereon the tire beads rest are' reinforced by rings or hoo s of resilient wire thus addin strength an durability to the wheel an making possible the use of lighter material in the construction of the wheel.4

Other and more speciiic objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure -1 is a side elevation of my wheel.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the wheelon a larger scale on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig.4 is a fragmentary elevation of a self 4locking hub nut and thrust plate.

Like reference numerals designate like lparts throughout the drawings.

The drawings show a'wheel composed of two spaced apart sheetmetal discs 7 and 8 formed with open centers and having their inner edges 9, around said open centers, bent into and clinched within a ta ered band 10.

The discs extend outwardly rom the band 10 in spaced apart divergent relation for a short distance and thence converge toward 5 each other but do not necessarily come entirelyl together at the annular location .-11 just inside the rim.- From the positionfvll said discs diverge at a sharp angle and form a cradle for 4a recessed rim 12 of approximately semicircular cross sectional shape Both edges of the rim -12 are bent sharply outward to form an inner cone 13 and an outer cone 14 between which is a shallow step or shoulder 15. The outer edges of the cone portions 14 are clinched as at 16 inwardly around reinforcing rings 17 of heavy wire and the extremities 18 bf the outwardly flanged portions 19 of the wheel discs are caught and firmly secured within the clinches 16. The flange portions19 may be in actual contactwith the rim 12 for any desired distance. This structure, including the discs 7 and 8 with flanged peripheries 19 1supporting the recessed rim 12lwhich is clinched over the reinforcing rings 137 forms a very strong and substantial and yet a very flexible rim structure which is light in weight and may be made of relatively thin sheet metal.

vThe hub structure for demountably supporting the wheel embodies a hub member 24 secured to a live axle 25 and having a fiange 26 and an externally threaded outer end 27 for the reception of an internally threaded hub cap nut 28. A plate 30 is provided with an octagonal tapered or inclined periphery 31 for the rece tion of the octagonal center of the wheel. he plate 30 and tapered portions 31 thus constitute an externally tapered hub block for the recept-ion of thewheel. The plate- 30 is secured to the hub iiange 26 and to a brake drum 32 by bolts 33, a spacing ring 34 is interposed between the plate 30 and the brake drum 32 adjacent the hub 24. 'A thrust cone 35 is provided for demountably securing the wheell onto the hub structure. A central opening in the thrust cone fits over the hub nut 28 and is engaged by a iange 36 on said hub nut and the-marginal `portion of said thrust cone is of octagonal shape to conform to the sha e of the `band 10 and is adapted to be presse against the outside of the wheel opposite the end of the band 10.

'Tightening the hubnut 28 against the thrust cone 35 forces the band 10 very tightly onto the inclined octagonal periphery 31 of the plate thus securing the wheel rigidly :and immovably to the hub. The resiliency of the thrust plate will ordinarily prevent loosening of the hub nut 28, but, as an additional vprecaution against the loosening of said hub nut I may provide the locking means vshown-in Fig. 4, in which a hub nut 28 and a thrust plate 35 are provided withrounded projections land depressions lrespectively which interi-"1t and positively prevent loosening of the hub nut. The lintertting tapered portions are shown octagonal but may be made of any shape except a true circle, the

object of this shape being to prevent relative rotation or creeping movement between the hub structure and the wheel. I find that where ataper is not used there is a tendency for the wheel to become loose even though a very accurate t is" made. The taper is-es 2U sentialto prevent this looseness and play between the hub structure and the wheel. I find a taper of ten to fifteen degrees to b e suitable for this purpose but any taper may l be used.

, When the wheel is placed on the hub structure the edges 9 of the side plates 7 and 8 which are bent within the bands 10 are very tightly clamped and are held immovable thus contributing to the production of a strong wheel. The wheel disc 8 may rest against the back of the brake drumnear the margin of said drum so that the drum serves as a re' ini'orcing means for the wheel. Enough clearance is allowed back of the band 10, as indicated at 37, to compensate for wear and variation in sizesand to permit the wheel always to be forced tightly onto the tapered portions 31.`

inwardly to forni a polygonal hub block l which tapers convergently toward the outside of said wheel, a brake drum disposed with its rear side against the inner side of said hub block, spacing means between said Vplate and said brake drum adjacent said hub with its .rear side against the tip of said wheel receiving means', :bolts securing said plate and said brake drum together, a wheel having a tapered polygonal hub opening adapted to fit ti htly onto said wheel receiv- Iingv means, an devices for securing said wheel on said wheel receivillg means.-

" ALVIN H. vS OEMAKER member, bolts securing said plate and said brake drum together, a wheel having a tapered polygonal hub opening adapted to lit tightly onto said tapered hub block, a thrust cone en aging the wheel around the hub opene ing an means for'forcing the thrust cone against the wheel.

2. A wheel and hub structure embodyinga hub member secured to an axle and having y a iange thereon, a plate resting against said ange, polygonal wheel receiving means extending inwardly from the margin of said plate and inclined at other than right angles relative to theplate, a brake drum disposed 

